Tonga leads the way with Pacific’s first National Bridging Workshop

Tonga sets a new precedence for the Pacific by hosting the region’s first National Bridging Workshop – a practical step toward stronger health security and better preparedness for future emergencies at the human-animal-environment interface.

Why does this matter?

Health emergencies do not respect boundaries. They affect people, animals and ecosystems alike.

Recognizing this, Tonga sets new heights in championing a One Health approach – where sectors work together to prevent, detect and respond to health threats. The workshop in October 2025 brought together stakeholders from across sectors and levels of government to create a space for collaboration and shared learning.

Acknowledging the need for strong coordination during health emergencies, Mikaele Saipaia, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests, emphasized that platforms like this workshop – along with other health security assessment tools – are vital for shared learning and strategic planning.

“Tonga has prioritized collaboration between the animal and human health sectors, extending efforts not only across various ministries but also within local governance structures,” Saphaia said.

Lupe Matoto, Director of Environment at Tonga’s Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), agreed and highlighted the link between ecosystems and health.

“Biodiversity, water quality, the control of invasive species and resilience to climate change are all fundamental pillars supporting health outcomes in the country. The integration of these elements ensures a healthier ecosystem, which, in turn, directly influences the health and resilience of Tonga’s people and animals,” stated Matoto.

Building on strong foundations

The workshop builds on Tonga’s use of the set of global health security assessment tools¹, which have helped the country identify and map capacities and opportunities for alignment across sectors.

Dr Reynold 'Ofanoa, Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Ministry of Health, explained that “this National Bridging Workshop aims to unite these efforts – human, animal and environment health – to meet International Health Regulations requirements through practical, multisectoral collaboration.”

“Through this workshop, Tonga will map redundancies and gaps in our current preparedness and response systems, seek synergies, and develop a coherent, resource-efficient roadmap. The goal is clear: strengthen Tonga’s – and by extension the Pacific’s – capacity to detect, prevent and respond to zoonotic and pandemic threats through shared ownership and coordinated action.”

Participants engaged in scenario-based exercises, identified priority actions, and committed to joint initiatives.

What’s next?

Tonga will finalise its roadmap, align national plans with workshop priorities, and mobilize resources for implementation.

“In response to its experience with COVID-19 and the recent volcanic eruption, Tonga’s first National Bridging Workshop under the One Health framework reiterates the need for innovative, multisectoral preparedness. It also reaffirms its commitment to continuously support Tonga and other Pacific nations in developing sustainable and practical strategies aimed at enhancing both regional and global health security,” said Dr Anup Gurung, WHO Country Liaison Officer for Tonga.

Tonga’s journey is a powerful demonstration: by bringing together sectors and embracing One Health, despite limited human and financial resources, to strengthen their health security and protect the interwoven wellbeing of people, animals and the environment.

^{The teams working together to consider how stakeholders would contribute to different scenarios and finding opportunities to align across sectors. © WHO}